ENGLISH PROVERBS

1. A bad penny always turns up

2. A barking dog never bites
3. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
4. A cat may look at a king
5. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
6. A change is as good as a rest
7. A dog is a man's best friend
8. A drowning man will clutch at a straw
9. A fish always rots from the head down
10. A fool and his money are soon parted
11. A friend in need is a friend indeed
12. A golden key can open any door
13. A good beginning makes a good ending
14. A good man is hard to find
15. A house divided against itself cannot stand
16. A person is known by the company he keeps
17. A house is not a home
18. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
19. A leopard cannot change its spots
20. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
21. A little learning is a dangerous thing
22. A little of what you fancy does you good
23. A man is known by his friends
24. A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client
25. A miss is as good as a mile
26. A new broom sweeps clean
27. A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse
28. A penny saved is a penny earned
29. A picture paints a thousand words
30. A place for everything and everything in its place
31. A poor workman always blames his tools
32. A person is known by the company he keeps
33. A problem shared is a problem halved
34. A prophet is not recognized in his own land
35. A rising tide lifts all boats
36. A rolling stone gathers no moss
37. A soft answer turneth away wrath
38. A stitch in time saves nine
39. A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver
spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly
40. A thing of beauty is a joy forever
41. A trouble shared is a trouble halved
42. A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men
43. A watched pot never boils
44. A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke
45. A woman's place is in the home
46. A woman's work is never done
47. A word to the wise is enough
48. Absence makes the heart grow fonder
49. Absolute power corrupts absolutely
50. Accidents will happen (in the best-regulated families).
51. Actions speak louder than words
52. Adversity makes strange bedfellows
53. After a storm comes a calm
54. All good things come to he who waits
55. All good things must come to an end
56. All is grist that comes to the mill
57. All publicity is good publicity
58. All roads lead to Rome
59. All that glisters is not gold
60. All that glitters is not gold
61. All the world loves a lover
62. All things come to those who wait
63. All things must pass
64. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
65. All you need is love
66. All's fair in love and war
67. All's for the best in the best of all possible worlds
68. All's well that ends well
69. A miss is as good as a mile
70. An apple a day keeps the doctor away
71. An army marches on its stomach
72. An Englishman's home is his castle
73. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
74. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
75. Another day, another dollar
76. Any port in a storm
77. Appearances can be deceptive
78. April is the cruellest month
79. April showers bring forth May flowers
80. As thick as thieves
81. As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it
82. As you sow so shall you reap
83. Ashes to ashes dust to dust
84. Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer
85. Ask no questions and hear no lies
86. Attack is the best form of defence
87. Bad money drives out good
88. Bad news travels fast
89. Barking dogs seldom bite
90. Be careful what you wish for
91. Beat swords into ploughshares
92. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
93. Beauty is only skin deep
94. Beggars should not be choosers
95. Behind every great man there's a great woman
96. Better late than never
97. Better safe than sorry
98. Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't
99. Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
100. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
101. Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak and remove all
doubt
102. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
103. Beware the Ides of March
104. Big fish eat little fish
105. Birds of a feather flock together
106. Blessed are the peacemakers
107. Blood is thicker than water
108. Blue are the hills that are far away
109. Boys will be boys
110. Brevity is the soul of wit
111. Business before pleasure
112. Caesar's wife must be above suspicion
113. Carpe diem (Pluck the day; Seize the day)
114. Charity begins at home
115. Charity covers a multitude of sins
116. Cheaters never win and winners never cheat
117. Cheats never prosper
118. Children and fools tell the truth
119. Children should be seen and not heard
120. Christmas comes but once a year
121. Cleanliness is next to godliness
122. Clothes maketh the man
123. Cold hands, warm heart
124. Comparisons are odious
125. Count your blessings
126. Cowards may die many times before their death
127. Crime doesn't pay
128. Cut your coat to suit your cloth
129. Dead men tell no tales
130. Devil take the hindmost
131. Discretion is the better part of valour
132. Distance lends enchantment to the view
133. Do as I say, not as I do
134. Do as you would be done by
135. Do unto others as you would have them do to you
136. Don't bite the hand that feeds you
137. Don't burn your bridges behind you
138. Don't cast your pearls before swine
139. Don't change horses in midstream
140. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched
141. Don't cross the bridge till you come to it
142. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face
143. Don't get mad, get even
144. Don't keep a dog and bark yourself
145. Don't leave your manners on the doorstep
146. Don't let the bastards grind you down
147. Don't let the cat out of the bag
148. Don't let the grass grow under your feet
149. Don't meet troubles half-way
150. Don't mix business with pleasure
151. Don't put all your eggs in one basket
152. Don't put the cart before the horse
153. Don't put new wine into old bottles
154. Don't rock the boat
155. Don't shoot the messenger
156. Don't spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar
157. Don't sweat the small stuff
158. Don't throw pearls to swine
159. Don't teach your Grandma to suck eggs
160. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater
161. Don't trust anyone over thirty
162. Don't try to run before you can walk
163. Don't try to walk before you can crawl
164. Don't upset the apple-cart
165. Don't wash your dirty linen in public
166. Doubt is the beginning not the end of wisdom
167. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise
168. East is east, and west is west
169. East, west, home's best
170. Easy come, easy go
171. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die
172. Empty vessels make the most noise
173. Enough is as good as a feast
174. Enough is enough
175. Even a worm will turn
176. Every cloud has a silver lining
177. Every dog has its day
178. Every little helps
179. Every man for himself, and the Devil take the hindmost
180. Every man has his price
181. Every picture tells a story
182. Every stick has two ends
183. Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die
184. Everything comes to him who waits
185. Failing to plan is planning to fail
186. Faint heart never won fair lady
187. Fair exchange is no robbery
188. Faith will move mountains
189. Familiarity breeds contempt
190. Feed a cold and starve a fever
191. Fight fire with fire
192. Fight the good fight
193. Finders keepers, losers weepers
194. Fine words butter no parsnips
195. First come, first served
196. First impressions are the most lasting
197. First things first
198. Fish always stink from the head down
199. Fish and guests smell after three days
200. Flattery will get you nowhere
201. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
202. For everything there is a season
203. For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost;
and for want of a horse the man was lost
204. Forewarned is forearmed
205. Forgive and forget
206. Fortune favours the brave
207. From the sublime to the ridiculous is only one step
208. Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains
209. Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration
210. Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day...
211. Give a dog a bad name and hang him
212. Give a man enough rope and he will hang himself
213. Give credit where credit is due
214. Go the extra mile
215. God helps those who help themselves
216. Good fences make good neighbours
217. Good talk saves the food
218. Good things come in small packages
219. Good things come to those who wait
220. Great minds think alike
221. Half a loaf is better than no bread
222. Handsome is as handsome does
223. Hard cases make bad law
224. Hard work never did anyone any harm
225. Haste makes waste
226. He that goes a-borrowing, goes a-sorrowing
227. He who can does, he who cannot, teaches
228. He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day
229. He who hesitates is lost
230. He who laughs last laughs longest
231. He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword
232. He who pays the piper calls the tune
233. He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon
234. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
235. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty
236. History repeats itself
237. Home is where the heart is
238. Honesty is the best policy
239. Hope springs eternal
240. Horses for courses
241. If anything can go wrong, it will
242. If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well
243. If at first you don't succeed try, try and try again
244. If God had meant us to fly he'd have given us wings
245. If ifs and ands were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers
246. If it ain't broke, don't fix it
247. If life deals you lemons, make lemonade
248. If the cap fits, wear it
249. If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to
the mountain
250. If the shoe fits, wear it
251. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
252. If you build it they will come
253. If you can't be good, be careful
254. If you can't beat em, join em
255. If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen
256. If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas
257. If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys
258. If you want a thing done well, do it yourself
259. Ignorance is bliss
260. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
261. In for a penny, in for a pound
262. In the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king
263. In the midst of life we are in death
264. Into every life a little rain must fall
265. It ain't over till the fat lady sings
266. It goes without saying
267. It is best to be on the safe side
268. It is better to give than to receive
269. It is easy to be wise after the event
270. It never rains but it pours
271. It takes a thief to catch a thief
272. It takes all sorts to make a world
273. It takes one to know one
274. It takes two to tango
275. It's all grist to the mill
276. It's an ill wind that blows no one any good
277. It's better to give than to receive
278. It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
279. It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness
280. It's better to travel hopefully than to arrive
281. It's never too late
282. It's no use crying over spilt milk
283. It's no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted
284. It's the early bird that catches the worm
285. It's the empty can that makes the most noise
286. It's the singer not the song
287. It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease
288. Jack of all trades, master of none
289. Judge not, that ye be not judged
290. Keep your chin up
291. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
292. Keep your powder dry
293. Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone
294. Laughter is the best medicine
295. Least said, soonest mended
296. Less is more
297. Let bygones be bygones
298. Let not the sun go down on your wrath
299. Let sleeping dogs lie
300. Let the buyer beware
301. Let the dead bury the dead
302. Let the punishment fit the crime
303. Let well alone
304. Life begins at forty
305. Life is just a bowl of cherries
306. Life is what you make it
307. Life's not all beer and skittles
308. Lightning never strikes twice in the same place
309. Like father, like son
310. Little pitchers have big ears
311. Little strokes fell great oaks
312. Little things please little minds
313. Live and learn
314. Live for today for tomorrow never comes
315. Look before you leap
316. Love of money is the root of all evil
317. Love is blind
318. Love makes the world go round
319. Love thy neighbour as thyself
320. Love will find a way
321. Make hay while the sun shines
322. Make love not war
323. Man does not live by bread alone
324. Manners maketh man
325. Many a little makes a mickle
326. Many a mickle makes a muckle
327. Many a true word is spoken in jest
328. Many are called but few are chosen
329. Many hands make light work
330. March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb
331. March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers
332. Marriages are made in heaven
333. Marry in haste, repent at leisure
334. Might is right
335. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow
336. Misery loves company
337. Moderation in all things
338. Monday's child is fair of face,
339. Tuesday's child is full of grace,
340. Wednesday's child is full of woe,
341. Thursday's child has far to go,
342. Friday's child is loving and giving,
343. Saturday's child works hard for its living,
344. And a child that's born on the Sabbath day
345. Is fair and wise and good and gay.
346. Money doesn't grow on trees
347. Money is the root of all evil
348. Money isn't everything
349. Money makes the world go round
350. Money talks
351. More haste, less speed
352. Music has charms to soothe the savage breast
353. Nature abhors a vacuum
354. Necessity is the mother of invention
355. Needs must when the devil drives
356. Ne'er cast a clout till May be out
357. Never give a sucker an even break
358. Never go to bed on an argument
359. Never judge a book by its cover
360. Never let the sun go down on your anger
361. Never look a gift horse in the mouth
362. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today
363. Never speak ill of the dead
364. Never tell tales out of school
365. Nine tailors make a man
366. No man can serve two masters
367. No man is an island
368. No names, no pack-drill
369. No news is good news
370. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent
371. No pain, no gain
372. No rest for the wicked
373. Nothing new under the sun
374. Nothing is certain but death and taxes
375. Nothing succeeds like success
376. Nothing ventured, nothing gained
377. Oil and water don't mix
378. Old soldiers never die, they just fade away
379. Once a thief, always a thief
380. Once bitten, twice shy
381. One good turn deserves another
382. One half of the world does not know how the other half lives
383. One hand washes the other
384. One man's meat is another man's poison
385. One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb
386. One law for the rich and another for the poor
387. One swallow does not make a summer
388. One volunteer is worth ten pressed men
389. One year's seeding makes seven years weeding
390. Only fools and horses work
391. Opportunity never knocks twice at any man's door
392. Opposites attract
393. Out of sight, out of mind
394. Parsley seed goes nine times to the Devil
395. Patience is a virtue
396. Pearls of wisdom
397. Penny wise and pound foolish
398. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
399. Physician, heal thyself
400. Possession is nine points of the law
401. Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely
402. Practice makes perfect
403. Practice what you preach
404. Prevention is better than cure
405. Pride goes before a fall
406. Procrastination is the thief of time
407. Put your best foot forward
408. Rain before seven, fine before eleven
409. Red sky at night shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's
warning
410. Revenge is a dish best served cold
411. Revenge is sweet
412. Rob Peter to pay Paul
413. Rome wasn't built in a day
414. See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it
lie, bad luck you'll have all day
415. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
416. Seeing is believing
417. Seek and ye shall find
418. Set a thief to catch a thief
419. Share and share alike
420. Shrouds have no pockets
421. Silence is golden
422. Slow but sure
423. Softly, softly, catchee monkey
424. Spare the rod and spoil the child
425. Speak as you find
426. Speak softly and carry a big stick
427. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me
428. Still waters run deep
429. Strike while the iron is hot
430. Stupid is as stupid does
431. Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan
432. Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves
433. Talk is cheap
434. Talk of the Devil, and he is bound to appear
435. Tell the truth and shame the Devil
436. That which does not kill us makes us stronger
437. The age of miracles is past
438. The apple never falls far from the tree
439. The best defence is a good offence
440. The best is the enemy of the good
441. The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley
442. The best things in life are free
443. The bigger, the better
444. The bigger they are, the harder they fall
445. The bottom line is the bottom line
446. The boy is father to the man
447. The bread always falls buttered side down
448. The child is the father of the man
449. The cobbler always wears the worst shoes
450. The course of true love never did run smooth
451. The customer is always right
452. The darkest hour is just before the dawn
453. The devil finds work for idle hands to do
454. The devil looks after his own
455. The early bird catches the worm
456. The end justifies the means
457. The exception which proves the rule
458. The female of the species is more deadly than the male
459. The fruit does not fall far from the tree
460. The good die young
461. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
462. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
463. The husband is always the last to know
464. The labourer is worthy of his hire
465. The law is an ass
466. The leopard does not change his spots
467. The longest journey starts with a single step
468. The more the merrier
469. The more things change, the more they stay the same
470. The only good Indian is a dead Indian
471. The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings
472. The pen is mightier than sword
473. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance
474. The proof of the pudding is in the eating
475. The road to hell is paved with good intentions
476. The shoemaker's son always goes barefoot
477. The squeaking wheel gets the grease
478. The truth will out
479. The wages of sin is death
480. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach
481. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
482. There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream
483. There are none so blind as those, that will not see
484. There are two sides to every question
485. There but for the grace of God, go I
486. There's a time and a place for everything
487. There's an exception to every rule
488. There's always more fish in the sea
489. There's honour among thieves
490. There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle
491. There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip
492. There's more than one way to skin a cat
493. There's no accounting for tastes
494. There's no fool like an old fool
495. There's no place like home
496. There's no smoke without fire
497. There's no such thing as a free lunch
498. There's no such thing as bad publicity
499. There's no time like the present
500. There's none so blind as those who will not see
501. There's none so deaf as those who will not hear
502. There's nowt so queer as folk
503. There's one born every minute
504. There's safety in numbers
505. They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind
506. Third time lucky
507. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it
508. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
509. Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas
510. Thou shalt not kill
511. Time and tide wait for no man
512. Time flies
513. Time is a great healer
514. Time is money
515. Time will tell
516. 'tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all
517. To err is human; to forgive divine
518. To every thing there is a season
519. To the victor go the spoils
520. To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive
521. Tomorrow is another day
522. Tomorrow never comes
523. Too many cooks spoil the broth
524. Truth is stranger than fiction
525. Truth will out
526. Two blacks don't make a white
527. Two heads are better than one
528. Two is company, but three's a crowd
529. Two wrongs don't make a right
530. Variety is the spice of life
531. Virtue is its own reward
532. Walls have ears
533. Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs
534. Waste not want not
535. What can't be cured must be endured
536. What goes up must come down
537. What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts
538. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
539. When in Rome, do as the Romans do
540. When the cat's away the mice will play
541. When the going gets tough, the tough get going
542. When the oak is before the ash, then you will only get a splash; when the
ash is before the oak, then you may expect a soak
543. What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over
544. Where there's a will there's a way
545. Where there's muck there's brass
546. While there's life there's hope
547. Whom the Gods love die young
548. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?
549. Women and children first
550. Wonders will never cease
551. Work expands so as to fill the time available
552. Worrying never did anyone any good
553. You are never too old to learn
554. You are what you eat
555. You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family
556. You can have too much of a good thing
557. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink
558. You can't have your cake and eat it
559. You can't get blood out of a stone
560. You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear
561. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs
562. You can't make bricks without straw
563. You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
564. You can't take it with you [when you die]
565. You can't teach an old dog new tricks
566. You can't judge a book by its cover
567. You can't win them all
568. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
569. You pays your money and you takes your choice
570. You reap what you sow
571. You win some, you lose some
572. Youth is wasted on the young